Lever handle and doorknob actuating latch devices are, of course, well known mechanisms. Conventional latch devices, however, suffer from a number of inherent drawbacks, not the least of which is the requirement that a lever handle or doorknob associated therewith be turned in the order of 80 degrees or so to fully retract the movable latch element of the device so that a door may be opened.
While it is considered advantageous to effect latch withdrawal with a lesser degree of knob or lever handle rotation, prior art mechanisms for accomplishing this end have been characterized by their relatively large size and high degree of complexity. Prior art latch devices become even more complex and bulky when they incorporate other features deemed desirable such as privacy locking or adaptation to either left-hand or right-hand use.